One Big Happy Family
by Ayla Pascal
Summary: They told me it would never work out with Draco. Draco/Ginny


Author Notes: Thank you to aigooism for the beta!

They told me that it would never work out. These were Percy's exact words. "It'll never work out, Ginny," he told me in that disapproving tone of his that I hated so much. It was the tone he used back when we were both children. Mum tended to get disappointed. Dad got angry. Percy was the only one in the family who had a monopoly on being disapproving.

"That's for me to decide," I said tartly.

Percy shook his head. "You're young," he said. "Too young to throw your life away on that Malfoy."

I suppose he _meant_ well. Percy always meant well. I don't know how Penelope puts up with him. I asked her once. She blushed and mumbled something about the great sex. I tuned out right about then. If there was one thing I didn't want to know, that was the sex lives of my brothers.

But I suppose Percy's reaction was better than that of Harry's. The day I told him that I was dating Draco... I don't think I'd ever seen him look so hurt. It wasn't as though we were _together_ or anything. We hadn't been together since Hogwarts, and that was over five years ago. But I guess Harry always held out a kind of hope that we'd get back together.

I bit my lip. I knew I was partially to blame. Over the last few years, whenever my life hadn't been going the way I wanted it to, whenever a guy broke my heart (which happened more times than I care to remember), whenever anything bad happened, I'd gone running into his arms. I could have gone to Hermione or any of my other friends, but Harry was so comforting. He always said the right things and told me that I deserved better. He helped pick me up after I lost my job and he helped me get my current job at the Prophet. I would have never imagined myself as a journalist, but to my surprise, I was fantastic at it. And it was all thanks to Harry.

"I'm sorry," I told him softly.

I truly was. But I was also in love. It was that kind of head-over-heels, fairytale romance, giddy kind of love that made me think that I was in the middle of a bad romance novel. Draco just had to smirk in my direction to make my heart jump.

I'd never imagined that we'd end up together. Throughout school, he was the boy who tormented my family and teased me. And my friends and family still saw him as that immature child. It was a surprise to me to find out that we actually got along really well.

My parents came around in the end. I could tell that they weren't happy about the relationship, but they assumed that it would pass just like all of my other ones. I think Mum was still hoping, deep down, that I'd get back together with Harry, and he could finally become part of our family. I kept on telling her that she was dreaming, but she just brushed me off with a fond smile on her face. Mum tended to be like that a lot.

Back then, it felt like nobody was on my side.

Except Draco. It was us against the world. Looking back on it, it was romantic nonsense, of course, but that's how it felt. His parents were none too happy with our relationship. I think his dad had threatened to disown him more than once. But he ignored them just like I ignored my family. We had each other. That was what mattered.

I felt a twinge of guilt now and again. I loved my family. Of course, it wasn't as though I was _completely_ ignoring them. I still saw them. But I no longer spent most holidays with them; that was reserved for Draco. I'd decided that if they weren't going to invite him along, then they didn't deserve my presence either.

Mum didn't speak to me for weeks after that first Christmas.

But nothing was as bad as when I announced our engagement. Mum froze when I told her. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice very quiet.

"I'm positive," I told her. I didn't want to show her the ring, but she grabbed my hand. The huge diamond glinted in the light. "Draco can be extravagant," I said, blushing.

"I see," Mum said coldly.

And that was that. She didn't say anything more on the issue, but I could feel her radiating disappointment. Ron told me that I was crazy, and even though Hermione didn't say anything, I could feel that she agreed with him.

"I wish they'd stop judging us," I complained to Draco one night as we lay curled up together on the bed.

"Give it time," Draco said. "These things take time."

I propped myself up on one arm and stared at him. "That was almost wise," I teased.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Of course, I could be wrong. Ron's such a git that I don't think he'll ever come around."

I laughed.

But you know what? Draco was right. Not about Ron being a git, although, that was also true. My family did end up coming around, but it took longer than I thought.

Sometimes during those first few years, I did wonder whether my family was right. I wondered whether it was all worth it. Usually this was when Draco and I were having one of our infamous fights. I had always been hot tempered and so was Draco. But they never lasted long and I have to admit it was always fun to make up.

Slowly, everything seemed to work out.

One Christmas, Draco's name appeared on our yearly Christmas card. It wasn't a big thing, but it made me tear up. "Oh Mum," I said, sniffling.

And it got better from there.

I wouldn't say that we're one big happy family now, but it's better than before. Mum still won't talk to Lucius, and frankly, I can't blame her. Dad often emerges out of the shed with his hair standing on end, babbling about some new Muggle toy he's found. I can see Lucius seething, but he doesn't say anything.

It's a fragile peace that's held together by the glue of our love.

A small chubby hand reaches up and tugs at my sleeve. I look down and see my daughter Melissa grinning up at me. She's sucking on an ice lolly and somehow she's managed to stain half her face with the sweet. "Come here," I say as I lift her up to my lap.

Looking around the room, I can see my son tugging on Lucius's hair. I can tell that Lucius's trying not to be entertained, but a small smile twitches his lips. Draco's currently in a heated discussion with Charlie. I can see the small dragon tattoo curling around Charlie's neck and roaring in the general direction of my husband. I hide a smile. Draco's one of the few people who can get Charlie that worked up. It's all friendly, but you wouldn't be able to tell unless you were part of the family.

"Mummy?"

I look down at Melissa who's trying her best to squirm out of my lap. With a sigh, I put her down on the ground and watch her run over to join her brother.

"She's adorable," Mum says as she joins me. "Reminds me of you at her age. Just wait till she grows up into a teenager though."

I shudder inwardly. I still remember my own teenage years far too clearly.

"This is lovely, isn't it?" Mum says thoughtfully as she surveys the scene.

I nod. It is, I realise. We're a strange family, but we're happy. It's taken years and it's been hard work, but it's been worth it. Draco looks in my direction and I blow him a kiss. "I love you," I mouth.

He winks and mouths the same thing back.

Maybe I was wrong, I realise. Maybe we are one big happy family now after all.


End file.
